Building with blocks in Hytale

Posted by Hytale Team
March 8th 2019

It’s important to us that Hytale players have all the tools they need in order to bring their ideas to life. We’ve already covered Hytale Model Maker, which allows players to create their own models and import them directly into the game. In this post we’re going to focus on building in adventure mode, and to illustrate this we’ll chiefly be using blocks and materials that you’ll find in zone 1. In future blog posts we'll have more to share about builder tools, freeform building, creating your own worlds, and more.

There are many block materials in Hytale, and in their most basic form they can be stacked or placed next to one another. The crafting system, however, lets you create many different building materials from the same basic block type. It’s these variations that provide Hytale builders with the freedom to create distinct shapes and varied visual designs.

These four blocks are each derived from the same basic stone material. Having multiple designs allows you to customize your builds with various textures and finishes.

In the image above, you can see many of the different building blocks that you can create out of quartzite, as well as multiple texture variations for each. In addition to regular blocks, you can also see roof blocks, stair blocks, wall blocks, pillars, slabs, and beams. Keep reading to find out more about how each of these are used!

Slabs are half-height blocks that allow for subtle height and width variation within a build. In the clip above, they’re used to fill in parts of an archway without blocking it completely.

Above you can see an example of stair blocks. The most obvious use for these is building staircases, but they also allow you to create more subtle tapered edges than are possible with full blocks.

Beams attach to the center of blocks and allow you to create narrow connections between surfaces. In the clip above, you can see various types of beam - quartzite, stone, and wood.

Wall blocks are another custom shape that allow you to create fences, walls and railings that are thinner than a regular block allows.

Pillars provide an example of how Hytale Model Maker expands the range of options available to builders. These special block variants feature additional details that add variety and visual interest.

Roof blocks are another example of a sophisticated block variant that incorporates elements created in Hytale Model Maker. These sloping surfaces can be used to create detailed rooftops for your builds. The image above shows tiled roof elements, but other variants, like thatched roofing, are available too.

Decorative elements like ivy can be attached to any surface to add detail and to help tie your build into its environment.

Combining furniture sets with block variants provides a lot of options while decorating the insides of buildings. In the image above, pillars and stair blocks are used to create a fireplace and multiple versions of the basic stone and quartzite blocks create visual variety in the wall behind it. The addition of furniture and decorative items finishes off a cozy living area.

Now let’s take a look at what’s possible when you combine all of these different block types into a single build - in this case, a mansion in zone 1.

Footage in this clip has been sped up for the sake of demonstration.

Here you can see a new build by world team member Propzie as it comes together piece by piece. Starting with a simple block outline, detail is steadily added using slabs, roof blocks, ivy and other decorative elements.

We hope this post has got you thinking about the types of builds you’d like to create in Hytale. To give you some more inspiration, here are a few of the Hytale development team’s own creations!